Process of husking kernels or seeds and obtaining products therefrom.



Application :o'z all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Ami 12. subject of the Eznpeic; and resident of Wormsonthe-Rhine,

nii-ny, have invented. certain new and 'ul Improvements in Connection with l'uskinp; of li'ier nels or Seeds and the in te'nmciit of Products Therefrom, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to renu -Je the huslcs, or coverings, from kernels, or seeds, in an economical and generally ee isiactory manner, and it is especiaiiy tended for husking the kerncls, or seed; is the St. Johns bread, or carol), t-ree {Q's tonic siZ-iqua) from .which avalusihle sun stance is obtained which is useful in 'ie industry as it has great swelling pacity which renders it especially suitable for use a thickener. The extraction of 'illli'i substance as hitherto practised is rendered very difiicult owing to the kernels, or seeds, being surrounded by hushs or coverings, which contain coloring matter, and

225 he swelling capacity of the said lrernelsjor seeds, is a great drawl'iaclr in the removal of the husks, or coverings, and causes great losses when the kernels, or seeds, are treated with either steam, or water. Various proc- 3 esses for the removal of the husks, or cov-- erings, from such kernels, or seeds, have been described, most of such processes consisting in mechanical methods which are not satisfactory in view of the shapes of the kernels, or seeds, and the firm adherence of their husks, o-r coverings. According to another process it has been proposed to husk the kernels, or seeds, by treatment with steam, but this is inefi'ect-ual on account of 40 the swelling of the kernels, or seeds, and

their adherence to the huslcs, or coverings.

The process according to the present invention enables the husking to be effected so that the hushed kernels, or seeds, are very eilicicntly obtained in a pure condition and so that there is a minimum of waste.

l have found that sulfuric acid can be employed with good effectto husk the ker ncls, or seeds, the acid having a rapid dissolving action on the husks, or coverings,

, even at ordinary temperatures, but the herneis, or seeds, being soluble but slowly and imperfectly in the acid. By this means the husks, or coverings, dissolved in the acid are, if the liquor is diluted by Water usher-e inafter described, converted into a volumiper cent,

., steers if) can he used on; Purpose? carried out for 1 ts) kilo or John s hreed of sulfuric e emplothis prccimr kernels, c: immerse F and sin hours.

sampler oils, of

l n this percentage disim 55, or seeds, and even when the time of? rztion is prolong the effect is insutlicient i practicuiiy w rthlees. I have found out sulfuric acid containing from to per cent. of H.356}, in suitable for use, as acid of this concentreuon acts quickly in dissolving the huslis. or coverings-f The of more c ent led is possible, but unsuitable, as i? 7 five and the rose tion mess becon'iss reeei 'y heated and gives entrain, rs: 'ions Whiclrrednce the yield. Artiiicnn "ooling might be resorted. to in using this ore concentrated sulfuric acid, but this would entail useless trouble and expense. F liermore the volume of the more concentrated acid is always less than that of the more dilute acid and in steeping the kernels, or seeds, there would have to be employed, in order to avoid cont w; slowly ,22

thickening and caking of the reacting mess,

more to per cent. acid than would be necessary for the dissolving eiiect. For instance in the example given, at least 220 kilograms of the more concentrated acid would have to be used in order to obtain the some fluidity of the reaction mass as is obtained with 200 kilograms of acid of from. 80 to 85 per cent. I

The duration of the reaction can he increased and even as much as doubled without practically affecting the yield. The form of the vessel in which the operation is conducted and the mode of stirring will to some extent effect the time occupied in the process. Too long a duration of the opera tion is inadvisable, as then part of the kernels, or seeds, would be gradually dissolved. As lon as no material heating takes place, the-di erence between the solubility 01" the husks, or coverings, and" of the kernels, 61 seeds, is so great that it is of no importance whether the duration of the react-ion takes, say, two hours longer, or not.

4 concentration and fairly pure.-

it can be used after concentration for a fur- As the dissolved husks, or coverings, are sliruy and sticky, it is necessary, from the first,'to carefully and constantly stir the mass to prevent the kernels, or seeds, adhering together, or to the vessel, as if they did so, the parts at which the kernels, or seeds, adhered would not be properly acted upon. Ordinary temperature should be employed and extraneous heating, or 'even self-heat ing, of the reaction mass should be care fully avoided, for any such heating would injuriously affect the yield considerably.

At the end of say five hours, the thick black sulfuric acid liquor is drawn off, or removed, by suction or otherwise, and diluted with its own volume of water. Large quantities of black product are thereby precipitated which product is freed from the sulfuric acid by washing and then dried. As already stated, this black reaction product is, on account of its great absorption power, useful for many absorption purposes as for instance replacing kieselguhr or infusorial earth in preparing dynamite. The sulfuric acid filtered off is of about 40 per cent. In any case ther operation. The kernels, or seeds, which have been deprived, as far as possible, of the sulfuric acid. are then washed with cold water (with the use of brushes if desired) when they assume a pure yellowishwhite color. The further treatment of the kernels, or seeds, may be carried out in acing the kernels with sulfuric acid to dissolve the husks, withdrawing the liquor containing the dissolved husks, and washing and drying the husked kernels.

3. The herein use in the textile industry COIIIPIiSiXi' treating the kernels with sulfuric acid, of at least 75 per cent. mncentration, withdraw ing the liquor containing the dissolved husks, and washing and drying the hushed kernels.

4. The herein described process of treat.- ing the kernels of St. J ohns bread comprising treating the kernels with sulfuric acid to dissolve the husks, withdrawing the liquor containing the dissolved husks, diluting such liquor with water, separating the precipitated product from the diluted liquor, and washing and drying the precipitated product. 1

5. The herein described process of treating the. kernels of St. Johns bread cornprising stirring a mixture of said kernels and sulfuric acid at ordinary temperature for several hours, withdrawing the liquor containing the dissolved husks, diluting such liquor with Water, separz-iting the precipi-- tated product from the diluted liquor and washing and drying the precipitated prod uct.

6. The herein described process of treating the kernels of St. Johns bread comprising stirring a mixture of said kernels and sulfuric acid at ordinary temperature for several hours, withdrawing the liquor containing the dissolved hnsks, and washing and drying the. husked kernels.

In testimony whereof I have signed in; name to this specification in the presence or two subscribing witnesses.

AIQOLF IiiEiNEMAiNN'.

Witnesses:

Josnr VVASKOFEN, JEAN GRUND.

described process of pre paring the kernels of St. Johns bread for 

